Shloka 15
सर्वास्तृूणान् सायकानामवेक्ष्य किं शिष्ट स्थात् सायकानां रथे मे । का वा जाति: किं प्रमाणं च तेषां ज्ञात्वा व्यक्त तत् समाचक्ष्व सूत,(कति वा सहस्राणि कति वा शतानि ह्याचक्ष्व मे सारथे क्षिप्रमेव ।।
sañjaya uvāca | sarvāstrūṇān sāyakānām avekṣya kiṁ śiṣṭaṁ sthāt sāyakānāṁ rathe me | kā vā jātiḥ kiṁ pramāṇaṁ ca teṣāṁ jñātvā vyaktaṁ tat samācakṣva sūta | kati vā sahasrāṇi kati vā śatāni hy ācakṣva me sārathē kṣipram eva ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh auriga, inspecciona todos los carcajes de flechas en mi carro y, tras averiguarlo con exactitud, dime con claridad cuánto queda de flechas. ¿Qué clases quedan, y en qué cantidad? Dímelo al instante: cuántos miles y cuántos cientos aún restan, oh conductor.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights practical responsibility amid war: a leader must know the state of resources (arrows, weapons) and demand clear, timely reporting. Ethical weight lies in disciplined awareness—decisions in battle should be grounded in accurate knowledge rather than impulse.
In the midst of the fighting, Sanjaya addresses his charioteer and orders him to inspect the quivers on the chariot, then report precisely how many arrows remain—broken down by type and by count (thousands and hundreds)—and to do so immediately.